David bennett
David Bennett is a British jewellery specialist and former auctioneer who spent 42 years at Sotheby's, where he became one of the leading figures in the field of high-value diamonds and historic jewellery.[1] He served as the Worldwide Chairman of International Jewelry at the auction house and has been described as a "founding father of the contemporary jewelry-auction market".[1]
Career
After obtaining a degree in philosophy and abandoning early plans to enter the film industry, Bennett joined Sotheby's graduate program in 1978 and rose through the ranks of its jewellery department.[1] Over his career, he presided over several high-profile auctions, including sales of jewels belonging to the Duchess of Windsor, Maria Callas and Ava Gardner.[1]
Known as the "100-carat man", Bennett oversaw the sale of seven diamonds of 100 carats or more, each achieving record prices.[1] Under his leadership, Sotheby’s Geneva became one of the world's main centres for jewellery auctions.
In May 2016, he directed a sale in Geneva that totalled US$175.1 million, setting a world record for a jewellery auction at the time.[1] Among the notable sales he conducted was the 12.03-carat Blue moon of Josephine, which sold for $48.6 million in 2015, breaking the world record price per carat for any gemstone.[1]
Bennett also presided over other major auctions, including the sale of the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona rough diamond in 2016, though the stone ultimately fell short of its reserve.[2]
Publications
With jewellery historian Daniela Mascetti, Bennett co-authored several reference works on jewellery, including Understanding Jewellery (1989), Celebrating Jewellery (2012) and Understanding Jewellery: The 20th Century (2021).[3]
Recognition
In 2013, Art + Auction listed Bennett among the ten most powerful people in the art world, and in 2014, the Swiss magazine Bilan named him one of the fifty most influential people in Switzerland.[3]
Later life
After retiring from Sotheby's in 2020, Bennett continued to work as a consultant and lecturer. He is also a practising astrologer and part-time philosophy lecturer, according to the New York Times.[1]
References
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